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ianharb
Reviews
Road House (2024)
Stick with the original
It's an OK movie. Just.....fine. Nothing special. I meam, it's a remake, so it's not like we don't know the exact story already. But it brings very little new to make it worth while. Jake is solid, the fighting/action is fun, but Conor McGregor has NO business acting. It was like watching a cartoon baboon. Just....terrible. I can't tell if it was him, or the direction he was given, but OUCH.
Not that the script helped much. The piano being out of tune line? Come one. So corny. Either lean in that direction as a theme, or don't at all.
It's things like that which makes it from an ok movie to a bad movie. But mostly Conor. He ruined the scene every time he spoke.
Yeah, I said it was an OK movie at first, and now a bad movie. I got more mad at the movie as I wrote/thought about it. It's bad. Just....bad.
Street (2015)
They needed to invest in better post production
This movie was just awful. I give it 3 stars for actors who are at least better than a high school actor trying to pad a college application with extra activities. But the rest of it... I don't even know where to begin.
The script is basic. Just simple, non imaginative, cliché. The directing is the same. I will leave those elements alone, because you can almost enjoy those aspects in bad, low budget movies when you are going in to them knowing it was a bad low budget movie.
The star of the movie, the fighting, was OK at best. For such an obviously low budget movie that brought in some MMA names, they should have really done much more to make sure the fighting was way better. And maybe they did...maybe it was just lost in the editing. But none of the fights had any sort of drama. No build. No gripping action.
But the thing that KILLS this move...the bad technical aspects. The utter lack of proper post production. I hate seeing seams in the walls of cheap sets. It is a sure fire give away that you are dealing with low budget. The lighting had no character to it. Did anyone do any color correction? It looked like raw footage. And the sound mix was the absolute killer here. It really played like a temp cut that they rolled out because they just gave up. No attempt at SFX through most of the edit, other scenes just had a background SFX track playing on a loop, music cues dropping out all of a sudden, popping in hot in other places, playing loud under dialogue in other spots so you couldn't hear a thing. If the producers don't have respect enough for their film to finish it properly then nobody should but the time into watching this. Unless you are making a low budget film and want to see a good example of why post production can help a bad movie out, then watch this as a cautionary tale. It will convince you to find more money for post for sure.
Hot Fuzz (2007)
Brilliant!!!
While this movie is a poke at the big budget action flick, it doesn't fall into the naked gun style of spoof. It comes off as if it is being serious, which makes it all the more funny. The first thing that strikes you is the editing. The quick jump cuts used in action films to make them seem edgier, suggesting a frenetic, tension filled pace, are used through out this film, giving any serious action films editing a run for its money. At first, it seemed a little obvious and contrived, maybe, but as the humor started to offset the serious tone being set forth, the movie really started taking shape. In the end, the editing made this film even more brilliant. The acting was terrific. The Shaun of the Dead stars really proved that they were not just one hit wonders. I now think Simon Pegg is one of the more brilliant comedic writers and actors of our time. His stone faced, serious main character sets a tone that made this spoof. I will now be sure to see ANY movie these guys make. This is one of the few movies I'd like to play again after having just watched it. It was just that funny.
The Contract (2006)
If I did not get this from Netflix with a flat fee, I would want my $ back
The ONLY reasons I am not giving this one star is that 1) I like John Cusack, 2) I like Morgan Freeman, 3) The scenery is pretty. Other than that, avoid this pile of dung at all costs. It is typical Hollywood JUNK. An obvious scenario from the moment you meet the characters, a really weak attempt at making the characters likable, a thin and predictable love interest, unbelievable situations (a cop tunred gym teacher can take out army trained pros? come on!), and disgustingly stupid turn of heart from the bad guy moments. The editing is too quick at moments that could have used a little dramatic air, as if to say "Yes, I know this is terrible. Let's just get it over with." The action is not really worth much. If you want to see explosions and gun fights you will be MUCH better served with something that is obviously set up for straight action. But this flick tries to pass itself off as something with a little more substance. And the twist is more like a minor bend. Unfortunately, the substance of this movie only comes as a liner for the trash can. The DVD case has more to offer than what is inside. Yes, it is just THAT bad. Don't worry about reading a spoiler, the movie is spoiled from the start.